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Choking

Each year about 500 children are admitted to Australian hospitals for treatment of choking. And while a vast majority will be okay, choking remains a major risk for all children, particularly under the age of eight.

Choking occurs when a solid objects become lodged in the airway.

Who’s at risk

Young children are particularly at risk because of their small size and immature anatomy, fixation with putting objects in their mouth, their ability to bite better and the smaller diameters of their airways.

And food seems to be the major cause of choking for the under 5s with an estimated 60% of hospital choking admissions being for inhaled food.

Signs of a partly blocked airway

A child with a partly blocked airway can still breathe, speak or cough, but may show symptoms such as:

Panicked and distressed behaviour

Inability to talk in complete sentences or at full volume

Frantic coughing

Unusual breathing sounds, such as wheezing or whistling

Clutching at the throat

Watery eyes

Red face

Signs of a completely blocked airway

A child with a completely blocked airway cannot breathe, speak or cough at all and may show these symptoms:

Panicked and distressed behaviour, including vigorous attempts to breathe

Clutching at the throat

Watery eyes

Red face at first, turning pale and then blue due to lack of oxygen (cyanosis)

Unconsciousness and collapse

What to do if a young child chokes

Follow this procedure from the Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Adelaide:

Check first if the child is still able to breathe, cough or cry. If the child is breathing, coughing or crying, he or she may be able to dislodge the object by coughing.

Do not try to dislodge the object by hitting the child on the back because this may move the object into a more dangerous position and make the child stop breathing.

Stay with the child and watch to see if their breathing improves.

If the child is not breathing easily within a few minutes, phone 000 for an ambulance.

If the child is not breathing

Try to dislodge object by placing the child face down over your lap so that their head is lower than their chest.

Give the child four sharp blows on the back just between the shoulder blades. This should provide enough force to dislodge the object.

Check again for signs of breathing.

If the child is still not breathing, urgently call 000 and ask for an ambulance. The ambulance service operator will be able to tell you what to do next.

For more information on how to deal with first aid emergencies with children click here.

To prevent choking in young children and toddlers

Do not give foods that can break off into hard pieces like raw carrot, celery sticks and apple pieces. Hard foods should be grated, cooked or mashed.

Cut sausages, frankfurts, and other meats into small pieces. Tough skins on frankfurts and other sausages should be removed.

Do not give popcorn, nuts, hard lollies, cornchips or other similar foods to young children.

Make sure they sit down to eat and never run around with food or anything in their mouth.

Supervise eating youngsters.

Don’t leave objects children can choke on around the house like coins, marbles, Lego and toys with removable small parts.

Enrol in a first aid course

Any of the above suggestions may be able to help but the best thing a parent can do is enrol in a first aid courseto learn how to deal with choking and other medical emergencies.